Valve for a liquid applicator tube assembly for giving enemas or the like



Jan. 14, -1958 M. M. MARKS 2,319,864

VALVE FOR A LIQUID APPLICATOE TUBE ASSEMBLY l EoR GIVING ENEMAs 0R THELIKE Enea March a, 1954 INVENToR. Vila/' /M Maf/6.5

Unite tar@ Mark M. Marks, Kansas City, Mo.,

Laboratories, Inc., tion vof Oklahoma Application March S, 1954, SerialNo. 414,560 2 Claims. (Cl. 251-7) assigner to Clyserol Oklahoma City,kla., a corpora- This invention relates to the administration of enemasand the like, the primary object being to provide a cornpositedisposable unit in which the enema solution is stored and sold, andthrough use whereof, the enema may be given without the necessity ofemploying conventional instrumentalities.

The present invention contemplates the use of a specially prepared enemasolution which, through test, has proved effective, non-irritating,convenient and inexpensive. Relatively small amounts of the solution arerequired and it is an important object of this invention therefore, toeliminate the necessity of resorting to hot water bottles, syringedevices and the like for its application as has heretofore been theuniversal practice.

As will be made clear, the solution is packaged in a flexible containercapable of being squeezed by the user so as to produce suilicientpressure to force the solution therefrom at the time of administration Along, flexible tube communicating with the container is provided with aninjection nozzle for the convenience of the user.

Additionally, a novel valve is provided on the tube to seal the solutionin the container prior to use, and made in a manner to permit usethereof while the enema is being given. Here again, the valve is of suchnature that there is no great increase in the cost of the product thoughthe unit is destroyed after use of the solution.

It is the most important object of the present invention therefore, toprovide a liquid applicator tube assembly for giving enemas or the likethat permits expansion of use of the product to the home by virtue ofthe way in which it is packaged, sold and conveniently employed by thepurchaser.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a liquid applicator tubeassembly for giving enemas or the like made according to the presentinvention, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional View taken on linelI-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional View taken on lineIII-lll of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line lV-lV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a nozzle with which the assembly may beequipped.

Container 10, shown in Fig. l of the drawing, is preferably of anelongated, relatively llat nature for convenience in storing andshipping. Additionally, container 10 is fully flexible so that it may besqueezed and the enema solution therein contained readily extractedthrough flexible tube 12. Thus container 1li may be easily grasped inone hand during giving of the enema whereby the task is greatlysimplified as compared with the conventional use of heavy and bulkybottles, bags and the like.

Container 10 is desirably provided with a long, integral spout 14, towhich one end of tube 12 is rigidly alxed 2,819,864 l Patented Jan. .14,1958 as by use of a coupling 16. yAn injection nozzle 18 (Fig. 6) may berigidly secured -to the opposite end of tube 12.

A valve 20 on tube 12 includes an elongated collar 22 provided with alongitudinal bore 24 of circular crosssectional configuration and havinga larger diameter than that of tube 12 which it receives. Collar 22 alsoreceives an elongated, longitudinally reciprocable wedge 26 that has alaterally-extending flngerpiece 2S on one end thereof engageable withthe lproximal end of collar 22 to limit the extent of movement of wedge26 to the left, viewing Fig. 3.

Wedge 26 has a frusto-conical length 30 at its opposite end whose baseend has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of bore 24.Fingerpiece 2S is joined integrally to a length 32 of wedge 26 which issemi-circular in crossesection and joined integrally to length 30 at theapex of the latter within bore 24. The flat face of length 32 engagestube 12 whereas fingerpiece 28 extends beyond the convex face of wedgelength 32.

At the time of packing the enema solution in container lil for storageand sale, the valve Ztl is closed on tube 12 by pressing wedge 26 to theright, viewing Fig. 3, relative to the collar 22. Tube l2 is squeezedclosed by the action of the lengths 30 and 32 of wedge 2d on tube 12,and the liquid is held in container l@ even until after insertion ofnozzle 18. Selected amounts of the enema solution may then be squeezedfrom the container 10 after opening of valve 20 by manipulatingfmgerpiece 2S. Valve 2li may be easily and quickly closed at any timewhile the nozzle 18 remains inserted, eliminating any Waste or conditionrequiring clean-'up as is normal when using large, unwieldy means forgiving of enemas.

As is clear in the drawing, container lll, spout 1d and tube 12 are allpreferably made from a lightweight, pliable material such as syntheticresin or plastic and valve 2li is made from a heavier flexible substancesuch as rubber. Thus, when wedge 2d is forced inwardly toward the right,viewing Fig. 3, the length 3d thereof becomes progressively tighter inthe collar 22, and as the latter tends to conform to the combined shapeof length 30 and flattened tube 12, there is a resultant collapsing oftube 12 substantially from the apex end of length 3G to that end ofcollar 22 proximal to the base end of length 3).

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A closure for an elongated pliable tube comprising a collar offlexible material adapted to be slidably threaded on the tubeintermediate the ends thereof; and an elongated wedge, longer than thecollar and reciprocable therein, longitudinally thereof for engagementwith the tube to squeeze the tube closed upon movement of the wedgetoward one end of its path of travel relative to the collar, said wedgehaving a frusto-conical length at one end thereof provided with a baseend disposed outside the collar and an apex end within the collar, and asecond length joined at one end thereof to said apex end and extendingoutwardly beyond the collar, the second length being semi-circular incross-section, presenting an elongated ilat face disposed for engagementwith the tube, said base end having substantially the same diameter asthe inner diameter of the collar whereby the frustoconical lengthcollapses the tube throughout a substantial distance along saidfrusto-conical length upon movement of the wedge in one directionrelative to the collar toward said one end of its path of travel.

2. A device for closing a flexible tube intermediate the ends thereofcomprising an elongated collar of flexible material having alongitudinal, cylindrical, ltube-receiving bore therethrough; anelongated wedge, longer than the collar and reciprocable in the borelongitudinally thereof, said wedge having a frusto-conical length at oneend thereof provided with a base and disposed outside the collar and anapex end within the collar, yand a second length joined at one endthereof to said apex end and extending outwardly beyond the collar, thesecond length being semi-circular in cross-section, presenting anelongated at face disposed for engagement with the tube, said base endhaving substantially the sarne diameter as the diameter of the borewhereby the {fusto-conical length collapses the tube throughout asubstantial distance along said frusto-conical length upon movement ofthe wedge in one direction relative to the collar; and alaterally-extending ngerpiece on the opposite end of the second lengthdisposed for engagement with the proximal end of the collar to limit theextent of movement of the Wedge in the opposite direction relative tothe collar, said second length having an arcuate surface, saidfingerpiece extending radially beyond said arcuate surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,020,728 Talbot Mar. 19, 1912 1,200,012 Oldham- Oct. 3, 1916 1,293,559Scott Feb. 4, 1919 2,092,401 Miller Sept. 7, 1937 2,643,848 Hoimalm June30, 1953

